This invention relates to the marriage of a video system with a microscope so as to display the viewed specimen field of the microscope and capture a video tape and/or hard paper copy of the same.
The ideal approach to the study of cells and tissues is to observe them in their natural, living state. Technical difficulties inherent in such procedures greatly limit their practical utility such that conventional histologic methods are still used.
Existing microscopic technology is based upon the examination of a specimen fixed upon a slide. The fixing of the slide, inclusive of the staining of the specimen, results in the killing of the live organisms which are to be viewed. The Dark Field microscopic technique, which utilizes a black background, has a limited use to identification of specific types of bacteria. In Bright Field microscopy, the fixed objects are presented against a white light background.
Television cameras are used to brighten magnified images otherwise too dark to see with even a dark adapted human eye.
Optical microscopy has certain limitations attributable to the wave nature of light. Ernst Abbe showed in the 1870's that two points of brightness could be detected as two only if about a half wavelength of light (0.2 micrometer for green light) apart, and then only when observed with an oil immersion objective of highest numerical aperture (1.30).
Light microscopes are also limited in other ways. Small objects present very little contrast unless some contrasting method, such as phase contrast, anaxial illumination, interference contrast, differential interference contrast, or fluorescence microscopy, is used.
Although television cameras were first used to some advantage during the 1950's to enhance contrast of microscope images, it was not until the late 1970's that intensification cameras were used to brighten images two dark to see even with a dark adapted eye. The method is called video-intensification microscopy (VIM).
In 1981 the so-called AVEC method of video enhancement microscopy was developed and found to have widespread applications in many fields of biology and medicine. The microscope could be adjusted in ways that spoiled the image for the human eye, yet vastly improved it for a television camera with appropriate characteristics. The method of AVEC videomicroscopy increases the resolving power of the microscope twofold and the contrast several hundredfold. In addition, it provides more light intensity to the television camera and less to the specimen, so that shorter exposures of specimens to damaging light permit rapid motions to be recorded. AVEC and other advances in the digital processing of microscope images have been combined with a redesigned optical microscope to produce a hybrid instrument called a photonic microscope system.
Accordingly it is desirable to present a system which further enhances the conventional microscopic techniques for the examination of organisms which are not readily identifiable through conventional examination procedures. It is also desirable to readily recall the viewed field from tape and provide a video display and/or hard copy of the same. The system should allow for the observation of the interaction of the antibodies with foreign bacterial organisms. Furthermore the system should provide the immediate identification of microorganisms. The system should also allow for organic chemical labeling utilizing crytstalline signature patterns as well as allow the user to view the effects of intravenous or orally ingested drugs and nutritional materials.
I have found that by utilizing electronic techniques with video equipment that a unique method can be provided for exploring gerentology and tissue cell generation; viral, bacterial or parasitological interaction with healthy cells; operation and interaction of the body immune system and therapeutic dosage of pharmaceuticals inclusive of illicit drug crystalline structure. More particularly I have found that by modifying presently available video cameras, recorders, and peripheral equipment and marrying the same to conventional microscopic equipment that I can provide an enhanced video display of cells and tissues with the ability to make a video tape and/or hard copy of the viewed specimen field.
Accordingly it is a general object of this invention to provide a specimen viewing system by interacting a microscope with a video system so as to capture the display of the specimen field.
Another object of this invention is to provide a system, as aforesaid, which provides for a high degree of resolution and clarity of the viewed specimens.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a system, as aforesaid, which separates the chroma and luminance characteristics of a video signal of a viewed specimen so as to increase the viewed resolution of the same.
A particular object of this invention is to provide a system, as aforesaid, which comprises a modified video camera so as to provide for the marriage between a microscope and video system.
Another object of this invention is to provide a system with camera, as aforesaid, which splits the video output signal into chroma and luminance characteristics with selectable dB gain controls for downstream communication of a video cassette recorder.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a system with camera and VCR, as aforesaid, which has been modified to reduce the effect of color combs/filters therein so as to process a relatively weak signal while allowing a strong amount of color passthrough so as to enhance the resolution of the viewed video signal.
Another particular object of this invention is to provide a system, as aforesaid, which captures the luminance and chroma characteristics of a video signal of the viewed specimen field on a video tape.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a system, as aforesaid, which processes a weak video signal of the viewed specimen field while allowing a relatively strong amount of color passthrough so as to engage the processing circuitry of a VCR and increase the overall line resolution and clarity of the resulting video display.
A further object of this invention is to provide a system, as aforesaid, which provides a hard copy of the viewed specimen field to be made from the video tape.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of this specification inclusive of the claims and drawings.